Have you ever been trying to analyse your salesforce data by its location and wished that you could view it on a map? Or maybe you would like that you simply could make your field sales teams more efficient by giving them a tool that quickly and simply plans the simplest router for their daily visits, and that they can fit more customer visits in every day … Introducing Salesforce Maps!
Formerly known as MapAnything, Salesforce Maps is a paid add-on that integrates seamlessly with your Salesforce, and can be used on the go on your Salesforce Mobile App. Salesforce Maps has many functionalities which will benefit your sales reps both in and out of the office. This multi-cloud app brings location intelligence technology to the Salesforce Cloud and centres around four main categories:
- Visualizing data
- Territory planning
- Tracking live locations
- Optimizing routes and schedules
Visualizing Data
Salesforce Maps is made on the Salesforce platform, so you'll do far more than simply visualize your data; you'll interact with and change data as required. Let’s say you've got a business requirement to go to all of your opportunities projected to shut this month. Visualize the locations of your opportunities by stage to prioritize which accounts to go to first, log your calls, enter notes after each visit, and alter required fields. This will all be achieved from the Salesforce Maps interface.
Salesforce maps gives you the option to add different layers. Marker Layers are used to display markers for the records that you simply have defined, such as All Active/Pending SNF Accounts. You also have the option to define the data you would like to be shown when you click on a Marker under the Tooltip tab.
You can also create other sorts of layers as well, like a Shape Layer, which allows you to define borders on the Map. If you break up your territories consistent with county lines, you’ll show these territories employing a Shape Layer.
The information pop ups associated with the Markers don’t just display information, they need different tabs which permit you to perform actions from the map itself. You can create and log Tasks from the Marker, create new Events and lots of more, all from the Marker pop-up. You can also post on the Marker’s Chatter feed directly from the Map. The pop up also features a Weather tab that shows current and future weather surrounding the Marker. This is often very helpful if you are planning a visit to the Marker and wish to plan for the weather conditions, there is nothing worse than being caught out!
Another feature available is the comparison of groups of Markers against one another. For example, you'll be comparing different clusters of Accounts and need to understand which cluster is more successful. You can do that in Salesforce Maps by using the drawing tool to draw borders around the groups of Markers you would like to compare. Salesforce Maps then aggregates the data of the Markers within the borders and shows that data in an info pop up for the border. You have different kinds of borders that you can draw, including creating borders dependent on distance or travel time from a specific point.
Territory Planning Overview
An insight into territory alignment boundaries is also provided by the data visualization. This data helps you identify how many reps are needed in a specific territory and exactly where they have to maximize sales resource capacity. With Territory Planning, companies can build, collaborate on and optimize the proper sales territories to eliminate guesswork and align with business goals.
Tracking Live Location
Live Tracking allows you to place a pin on the map to track the location of technicians, delivery drivers and any asset in your organization. For instance, location sharing is used when connecting with rideshare apps on your mobile device. Essentially, you’re using your location to place a pin where you would like the driver to find you. Salesforce Maps Live Tracking provides an equivalent functionality on a bigger scale to track and save driver location and activity by allowing organizations with multiple assets.
Optimizing Routes and Schedule
Think about an app that helps you avoid traffic and provides you the best way to get from one point to another. With Salesforce Maps, this is a little more complex. Organizations normally have many people that visit lots of places with various stops on their way. They need to make smart decisions about their stops based on both business rules and requirements. Salesforce Maps optimizes site visits in such a way that companies are not only seeing lots of customers, they’re also seeing lots of relevant customers specific to their business needs.
So, there you’ve got it, Salesforce Maps! Not only will it benefit your ability to plan ahead and make sure that you are taking advantage of every opportunity you can, but it’ll also benefit the relationship that you have got together with your customers, and make sure that everyone’s time is getting managed as effectively as possible.